The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has arrested a
suspected drug trafficker, Egwu Phillip Inya who claim to be a building engineer.
Inya was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA while attempting to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
The 42-year-old was arrested on Monday, 2nd December 2024 at Okeyson motor park Enugu when he showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40 kilograms.
Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA said in a statement on Sunday.
“The consignments had arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos import shed on 29th November 2024.
“Following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency had monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport where it was to be collected by the consignee.
“The importer, however, changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute.
“As a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments,” the statement explained.
In another development, the NDLEA said no fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba way in Adamawa State by operatives on patrol along the road.
It said the drugs were recovered in the early hours of Friday 6th December.
“The occupants of the vehicle had made a detour on sighting the NDLEA team and after a distance abandoned the vehicle with the consignments after noticing the operatives were on their trail,” Babafemi said.
In Ekiti state, NDLEA said two suspects: Olanrewaju Alale, 48, and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun, 55, were arrested on Ise- Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ while ” transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1, 323 kilograms to Owo, Ondo State from where they claimed the consignment will be moved to the North for distribution.
“Another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf, 33, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks on Friday, 6th December at Idere road, Igbo Ora, Oyo state.
“In Lagos, a grandmother, 65-year-old Ramata Bola Adeyemo was on Friday 6th December arrested by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup were recovered from her.
“Also arrested in Lagos was Alhaji Lawan Manga who was picked at Ogundana Street, Ikeja on Thursday 5th December while 4.7kg cannabis and 1.3kg tramadol were recovered from him.”
The statement said the various Commands and formations of the Agency across the country intensified their War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA) during the week under review.
The activities carried out by them include sensitization lectures to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others.
“These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Progressive Secondary School, Ado Awaye, Oyo State; Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun State; Government Girls College, Maiduguri, Borno State; Community Secondary School, Ogale, Rivers State; Santa Maria Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu State; and Chiranci Upper Basic Junior Secondary School, Bichi, Kano State while Lagos State command of NDLEA organised WADA enlightenment lecture for leaders and members of NURTW, Orile Agege, Lagos, among others.
In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers and men of MMIA, Adamawa, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo Commands for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
